Elimination of assistant positions leaves Stuart police, fire departments lean at the top

FILE PHOTOFormer City of Stuart Fire Chief Lori Sunderman (right) talks to Stuart Firefighter-Medic James Minor (second from left) as Firefighter-Medics Adam Perricone and David Harrow clean up after responding to a fire in October.
Former Assistant Fire Chief Dave Dyal was promoted when Sunderman retired last year, and his previous position was eliminated.

TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS

FILE PHOTO
Former Stuart Police Chief Edward Morley (center) talks with new Stuart Police Chief David Dyess following a Change of Command ceremony in which Dyess was sworn in as chief in October. Dyess' previous position, Assistant Police Chief, was eliminated following his promotion.

Treasure Coast Newspapers

This article has been modified from its original version. The name of retired Fire Rescue Chief Lori Sunderman was misspelled.

STUART — The city's police and fire rescue departments these days look like a stack of Jenga blocks with a couple gaps at the top.

In the last four months, the positions of assistant chief were pulled from both departments, with no plans to plug the holes. Like in the game where players remove blocks from a tower-like stack and try to avoid knocking it down, the changes at the city have left some wondering whether the structure can stay upright.

"It's way too much work for one person," said newly retired Fire Rescue Chief Lori Sunderman said.

City Manager Paul Nicoletti eliminated the positions when Sunderman and former Police Chief Edward Morley announced their retirements late last year.

Long-term Assistant Police Chief David Dyess was promoted to chief, but no one replaced him as assistant. Assistant Fire Rescue Chief Dave Dyal was named interim chief, also with no plan for filling his former post. Nicoletti hasn't decided yet whether to appoint Dyal to the position permanently.

Eliminating the positions will save the city more than $200,000 per year.

Nicoletti said the 2013 budget called for $100,903 for an assistant police chief and $87,016 for an assistant fire chief. He said the city will save about 30 percent more than those salaries when benefits are included.

The position cuts come from a city whose leaders take pride in enduring several years of sinking tax revenues without cutting services or laying off personnel. Savings came in part from the 17 percent of employees lost to attrition over the last five years. Police and fire rescue departments, however, have kept their numbers steady.

"We're trying to operate lean and mean as we can," Nicoletti said. "When there's enough money in the system, the tendency is not to look at efficiency."

Dyess shares this philosophy. "Obviously you feel busier," he said. But, he added, "With the economic situation, doing more with less is a philosophy everybody's had to embrace."

The 43-year-old chief had been groomed over the last three years to take over when Morley retired. Dyess promoted two lieutenants to captains and gave them the duties he had as assistant chief.

"All three of us have extensive knowledge in our field," he said.

Unlike Dyess, Dyal never expected to be thrust into the top spot until Sunderman unexpectedly announced her retirement last fall.

"I was stunned," said the 60-year-old interim chief.

Dyal also never anticipated running the department alone. Yet he has nobody to turn to for help with personnel and other administrative issues. Next in the fire rescue chain of command are battalion chiefs, who work 11 24-hour shifts a month supervising firefighters and paramedics.

"They have their hands full running their shifts," Dyal said.

A month into his interim post, Dyal said he's managing fine. Will it always be so easy? "I don't know yet," he said with a laugh.

But he's willing to face the demands. Asked if he would accept a permanent position as chief, Dyal said, "Absolutely." "It's not going to be an easy task," he said, "but we'll do it. I've got some really good battalion chiefs, and we're going for it."